Finally.

As this semester comes to a close, it is important to take time to reflect. Remember where you were at the beginning of this semester and compare that to where you are now. If you feel you have improved, then good for you. But if you feel that you have declined since January, now comes the time to attempt to change that: FINALS.

Yes, the most stressful six letters in all of academics. Finals represent all that we love and hate about school, the final obstacle towards your goal and the seemingly impossible terrain that you have yet to conquer. As your teachers give their final lectures, study guides, and assignments, there’s one thing you must remember going into these exams: relax.

There’s nothing worse than the overly stressed out student in the library trying to cram hours before the exam. Don’t be that guy. Although you may have to be that guy if your final is accumulative. The term “accumulative final” must have been created by Lucifer himself. But I digress.

When it comes to studying for finals, I like to take the “tree chopper” approach. What’s the “tree chopper” approach? Good question. Allow me to explain. You have to look at a final exam as a giant redwood tree that needs to be chopped. There is two ways to approach the chopping of this tree.

1) You can just start chopping furiously with no real plan and eventually burn yourself out. This approach will not get the job done.

2) You can step back, think for a second, and chop away at the tree daily. This approach yields more success because your energy and focus is much higher. This also decreases chances of a “burnout.”

Whichever approach you choose in these last days before finals, just know that all your hard work comes down to what you do in those two hours with that pencil and those sheets of paper.